Overview
When you onboard a new asset manager or responder, the first step is to add them as a Firm in DiligenceVault. A Firm represents the asset management company or counterparty you are conducting due diligence on, and it serves as the parent record that connects all related strategies, products, vehicles, contacts, and diligence projects.
Adding a firm correctly from the start ensures your data stays organized, eliminates duplicates, and keeps your team's workflow connected across the platform.
This article walks requestors through the complete process of creating a new firm in DiligenceVault.
Getting Started: Navigating to Firms
There are two ways to start the process of adding a new firm.
Option 1: Via the Manage Menu
Manage > Firms > + New Firm (top-right corner)
Monitor Firm Relationship view under Manage > Firms
Option 2: Via the Quick-Add Shortcut
Click the "+ New" button in the left navigation panel and select Firm from the list.
Quick-add shortcut: New > Firm
Both paths open the same firm creation flow. Use whichever is more convenient for your workflow.
Step 1: Search for Existing Firms
Before creating a new firm record, DiligenceVault prompts you to search the platform's existing database. This prevents duplicate entries and helps you connect with a firm that may already be present.
You can search using one of two methods:
Search by Firm Name or Website
- Enter the firm's name or website URL in the Name or Website field.
- Use a partial or single keyword for broader results. For example, searching "Morgan" will return all firms with that word in their name, including JPMorgan Asset Management, Morgan Stanley, and similar variants.
- The search engine is typo-tolerant, so minor spelling variations or character differences will still surface relevant results.
Create New Firm dialog — search by name or website
Search by Contact Email
- If you know a contact's email address at the firm, enter it in the Contact Email field.
- This performs an exact-match lookup and returns all firms associated with that email address.
- This is especially useful when you do not know the exact firm name in DV database but have a known point of contact.
| Note: The Name/Website search and Contact Email search are mutually exclusive. You can use only one at a time to keep your search clean and results accurate. |
Step 2: Review Search Results and Match Details
If the platform finds existing firms that match your query, a list of suggested matches is displayed. Each result includes additional context to help you identify the correct firm with confidence:
- Number of Products associated with the firm
- Number of Contacts already linked
- Visible Contacts shared by the responder firm
- Last Active on DiligenceVault date
Click View Firm Details to expand the entry and review this additional context before making a decision.
Search results with firm details expanded
If you find the correct firm: Click Add to Portfolio to add it to your account. The system will then pre-fill available details in the firm form.
If no match is found: Scroll to the bottom of the dialog and click No, Create a New Firm to proceed with a blank form.
| Note : The platform also performs a final similarity check on Name, Domain, and Firm Type before creation, displaying potential matches with a similarity score. This is your last opportunity to avoid creating a duplicate. |
Step 3: Complete the Firm Details Form
Whether you are adding an existing firm from search results or creating a brand new one, you will be taken to the firm details form. Fields marked with a red asterisk (*) are required.
Firm details form with pre-filled information
Firm Identity Fields
- Firm Name* The official name of the firm. Note that this can be updated by the responder firm's admin.
- Alias Your internal name for this firm. The alias is visible only to your team and is reflected across DiligenceVault in your view, making it useful when your internal naming convention differs from the firm's official name.
- Firm Domain* The firm's website (e.g., jpmorgan.com). This is used for domain-level matching and duplicate detection.
- Firm Type Select the appropriate type from the dropdown (e.g., Asset Manager, Auditor). Search results are filtered based on this field to reduce confusion between investor and manager firm types.
- Internal Key An optional internal identifier used by your team for this firm (e.g., HG36FG). Useful for cross-referencing with internal systems.
CRD Number Fields
- Source Firm CRD The CRD number used for syncing ADV custom fields. This is typically populated by the responder firm.
- User-Defined CRD If you prefer to use a different CRD number for the ADV custom field sync, enter it here. You can also add secondary CRD numbers using the checkbox option.
Relationship and Contact Fields
- Relationship Status Indicates your current relationship with this firm (e.g., Invested, Bench, Hold). Select the appropriate value from the dropdown.
- Add Contact(s) Enter email addresses for contacts at the firm. Contacts are optional at this stage and will not receive any notification when you add them here. You can always add or update contacts later.
Add Contacts and Owners section
Ownership and Team Assignment
- Primary Owner Assign one or more users as primary owners of this firm. Primary owners can be subscribed to receive all notifications when a new request is created for this firm.
- Secondary Owner An additional set of users who can be added as subscribers.
- User Role Assign a defined role (with associated team members) instead of a named individual as primary owner. This is useful when multiple people share responsibility for a firm. You can manage roles in Firm Settings > User Roles.
- Team Member(s) Assign specific team members. The Auto-assign checkbox can be enabled to automatically include all members of a selected role.
Step 4: Add Custom Fields and Team Permissioning
The final section of the firm creation form allows you to capture additional information and configure access.
Custom Fields
If your firm uses custom fields (configured by your admin), they will appear in this section. These fields let you store information specific to your firm's internal processes, such as ratings, administrator names, manager status, or case types. Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required.
Click Show More to view any additional custom fields that are not displayed by default.
Custom fields and team permissioning section
Team Permissioning (For Restricted Users)
If your account operates in a restricted access model, you must assign team permissioning before finalizing the firm. Without this, the firm may not be visible to your team.
- Click + Add Team Permissioning at the bottom of the custom fields section.
- Set the Permission Mode to Exclusive.
- Select your Team Name from the dropdown.
- Set the Resource Visibility to Teamowned.
| Note : If you are unsure about your permission mode, check with your admin user. Incorrect permissioning can result in the firm not appearing in your team's view. |
Step 5: Create the Firm
Once you have completed all required fields and configured ownership and permissions, you have two options at the bottom of the form:
- Create Firm Saves the firm.
- Create & Add Another Saves the current firm and immediately opens a fresh form, allowing you to add another firm without navigating back.
Once the firm is created, it will be visible to you in the list of firms under Manage > Firms.
Need Help?
For further assistance, reach out to DiligenceVault support via email at ask@diligencevault.com.